Book Review – A Crooked Path by Annette Smith

A Crooked Path by Annette Smith.

This is the second book in the Eden Plain series by Annette Smith. I read the first book, A Bigger Life in 2007 and I really enjoyed it. That introduced me to the works of Annette Smith and led me to read her Ruby Prairie series which is easily one of my favorite sets of books ever. So, I have high hopes for Eden Plain based on my past reads. I think I might have had too much anticipation for A Crooked Path, actually. I think I might have set it up too much in my mind because I liked it, but I didn’t love it. I just never felt entirely connected to the characters. It had a great message, but it never really had me tied to it at any point.

The story revolves around Manny Ortego who grew up extremely poor in Mexico, especially after his father abandoned the family. Manny eventually sneaks into the US, but gains a lawful work Visa and continues to live and work in Texas. This story is mainly about his relationship with Owen Green who is an old rancher who is set in his ways and has many open prejudices that he frequently spouts off. Manny is loyal to Mr. Green and takes care of him through an illness. Mr. Green’s daughter comes to live at the house and once it is discovered that Manny and Mr. Green’s daughter are in love, we see Mr. Green’s prejudices really flare. It’s a story about overcoming hardships, being true to your word and overcoming old ways. For those reasons, I enjoyed it. But, for some reason, I just never got very invested in the book as a whole. Still, I’d recommend the Eden Plain series or any work by Annette Smith. Good reads. I just have higher hopes for the next installment.